Insomnia

There are 3 main areas to look at when dealing with chronic insomnia. By process of elimination you can discover exactly you need start in order to change your poor sleeping habits for good. 

Let’s look at your environment to begin with. We need some key ingredients to ensure we have the optimum environment for a good night’s sleep – Quiet, calm, comfort and a peaceful  mind. 

Noise. It stands to reason that we need a quiet place so not to be disturbed during the night. So if you have any uncalled for noise that wakes you, you need to take steps to eliminate the source of the noise or sound proof your room. Other people, passing traffic, pets, children, a snoring partner,  weather and suchlike can all disturb your sleep. Take action, make changes and begin to sleep better. 

Try to eliminate tech from your bedroom altogether. Blue light from devices disrupts your melatonin levels. Watching TV or scrolling through your devices before bed stimulates your brain when in fact you need to relax, zone out and become drowsy rather than alert. Recent research shows it’s been suggested that sleeping near a phone, in a home with Wi-Fi, or in an apartment building with many Wi-Fi signals can create chronic sleep concerns as the constant bombardment of Wi-Fi pollution interferes with falling asleep and sleep patterns. For many, sleep deprivation is just the start for larger concerns. The development of depression and hypertension have also been linked to inadequate sleep 

Discomfort. Aches and pains are great sleep disruptions. A poor mattress can be very uncomfortable and cause aching muscles and impact on the spine and other areas of your body. Ill health and physical pain can impact negatively on your sleep. Find ways to manage your pain. Changing medication or working with an alternative health practitioner will help you manage your pain better.  Make sure your bedroom isn’t too warm . A cooler bedroom is best for optimum sleep health (around 15 to 22 Celsius for adults).  

Irregular bedtimes can have the same effect as jet lag on our mind and body recent research shows.  Try to make bedtime as regular as possible as often as possible. Just like with other habits, the brain will create neuropathways and sleeping will be become a good habit.

And finally, anxiety, worry and stress are major contributors to poor sleep. Some people are in a pattern of not sleeping without realising their is an anxiety running in the background that is responsible. Others wake and go straight into thinking, worrying and problem solving. For some, a body feeling (tightening chest, irregular breathing or swirling or sinking sensations in the stomach wakes them. These are all ways your mind lets you know that there is something that you need to pay attention to.